The Age of the Coronavirus is ushering in disturbing societal shifts, many of which smack of totalitarianism.  Underpinning most of these changes is "social distancing."  Here's a snapshot of some of what's happening.

In New York and New Jersey, drones are flying overhead, blasting a synthesized voice message urging people to stay at least six feet apart (here, here, and here).

 
Facebook video screen grab (cropped).

We see increased police patrols to monitor social distancing, issuing citations and fines and making arrests.  In one case, a father was handcuffed and taken away for playing softball with his six-year-old daughter in what appeared to be a large and empty park (here, here, here, here, here, here).

At the same time, citizens are urged to report on their neighbors who aren't adhering to distance guidelines.  At least one state set up a hotline to make such reports (here, here, here, here).

And what would totalitarian measures be without the elites in power breaking the rules?  So the mayor of Chicago went out for a haircut, and Bill de Blasio left his sprawling mansion to go for a walk in the park, which is supposed to be forbidden behavior, a fact that, in itself, is sheer insanity.  Naturally, when these elites are caught and called out, they have an excuse: good for thee, but not for me (here).

Behind the scenes there are signs of increased control over the free market.  Most recently, big box stores in some regions of the country were told to stop selling all "non-essential" goods as a means of reducing the number of people in the store and how much time they spend shopping (here).

But that doesn't go far enough for freaks like Zeke Emanuel, who want to keep things shut down for at least a year and a half.  I presume he feels confident that that would be sufficient time to seal our fate as a collapsed nation.  And, let's face it: Dr. Fauci has often alluded to waiting for things to return to normal until after the elusive vaccine is available, which would fit Emanuel's timeline (here, here).

Significant pressure is also being put on churches, which are increasingly threatened — in some cases with permanent closure, and in at least one case, the locks on the front doors were changed so no entry was allowed (here, here, here).

All the while, tensions are building as fear mounts and people are holed up in their homes like lepers.  People are physically assaulting others for not maintaining their distance, and in some cases, the victims have died as a result (here, here, here, here, here, here).

This madness must end.

The United States is founded on individual liberty.  A pandemic such as we're facing tests the fabric we're made of.  We have a responsibility to ourselves and to our fellow citizens.  But we've entered dangerous territory, and the powers that be need to attend to this with as much passion and commitment as they are to the virus.

Saving lives won't matter if we don't also save our country.